January 17, 2008 ~Thunder Bay, ON ~. Lakehead University is pleased to announce that Orillia City Council has tentatively approved a $10-million commitment to Lakehead University's permanent Orillia Campus.
Pending final approval at the Council meeting next Monday, 10 annual capital contributions – valued at $500,000 – will begin in 2010. Eighty-five acres of serviced land – valued at $5 million – will make up the remainder of the City’s contribution.
"There was a great feeling in the room when the endorsement was announced," said Kim Fedderson, Dean of the Orillia Campus. Fedderson is grateful for the vision displayed by the Mayor, City staff, and Council members, and notes that this decision – if finalized – will give Lakehead and the city of Orillia real cause for celebration.
Prior to the vote, Mayor Ron Stevens urged all around the table to support the proposal, which calls for a University tax levy of two per cent over two years, noting the $10-million figure being put forth is a small investment in relation to the quality education and increase to the city’s economic viability that would result.
A one per cent levy will be applied in 2008, and another one per cent the following year. While one of the Orillia City Councillors felt the levy was unfair to older taxpayers who may not utilize the campus, Lakehead University President Fred Gilbert notes "A university accommodates much more than only young students. It meets needs of an entire community with credit and non-credit courses and cultural and intellectual engagement." Fedderson added that when he gave a recent presentation as part of the University's Meet the Professor Lecture Series, he noticed "a significant proportion of the house was probably over 60 years of age."
Lakehead's Thunder Bay campus resides on approximately 90 acres of land and educates about 7,000 full-time students. "If the Orillia Campus grows the way we expect it to over the next 10 – 15 years, we're going to be able to put all of this land to use," says Fedderson.
Dr. Gilbert will travel to Orillia to attend next week’s Council meeting.
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